Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-12
"a LIGHT, PLEASEw
Reasons Why a Man Should Not
Loan His Lighted Cigar.


From the 81. Louis Republican.
A placid and callow-looKing young
man, who wore a silk hat, fur-trimmed
coat, light overgaiters and patent leather
shoes, tripped nimbly up to a well-fed
man seated in the Lindell Hotel lobby
yesterday and raised a mutIlated ''snipe''
to his lips with "a light, If you pleaseY'
The well-fed man continued to work his
half smoked cigar while he made care
full search Of seven of his pockets for a
match. The placid, hslf-breed dude kept
an uneasy gaze at the burning cigar.
Two minutes passed in that way, and the
well-fed man was tired, and he showed it.
DIDN'T HAVE MATCH.
81 haven't q match. but you can prob
ably get light at the cigar stand" said
he, rising to point out to the young man
an alcohol blaze not ten steps away.
"Beg y'r pawdon," gasped the callow
one, while Hush OF indignation chased
over his face.
The well-fed man resumed his seat and
pulled away serenely at his cigar. There
seemed to be nothing new to him in the
occurrence, but IL was not common, and
those about recognized 1t as rare in
stance OF courage, and it was the theme
for the next half hours chat.
THAT was right" observed the first to
speak, land, though 1t is little innova-
ton of the popular custom, 1t is a COM
nonsense ACT. ! always carry matches
for the benefit of my friends, as well as for
myself, that | may be able to smoke my
own cigar, but if l chance to be caught
without match never have the courage
to refuse to turn over my cigar when
asked for light l consider il
IMPERTINENCE
to ask a man for d light of his cigar, but
custom has established that impertinence
so firmly you are criticised if you attempt
to inaugurate new era for smokers"
at is an old, weather beaten and fool
ish idea that courtesy makes it necessary
to let every stranger, without cOnsidera
ton of his occupation, handle your
cigar" offered 3 gentleman on the other
side OF the well-ted man. at am smok-
ing a cigar aud it is half or three-quarters
burned, am not going to let a stranger
handle il and then return it to my mouth.
A gentleman who thinks before he acts
would not expect me TO, and when l hap
pen to be without match and do not fee
flush enough to buy another cigar, | DO
Iitely inform the man that am without a
match. 1t is only occasionally you run
upon a man who is so rude as TO ask you
why you don't
GIVE HIM YOUR CIGAR"
"But, il he shouldr"
well, In that casemy explanation is
| adapted to the length of time | have TO
| spend with the person. There are thou.
sand and one objections to the practice.'
sit was only yesterday" Interrupted
an attentive listener, "tnat saw physi-
| clan stop cutting the diseased flesh of a
| patient and light cigar. Three minutes
| later man dropped around and asked
| the physician for light. lie gave it to
| him. / wouldn't have touched his cigar.
nor would have allowed him to have
| touched one l was smoking, for man is
naturally careless animal. There is an
immense number of persons whose bust
ness it is to handle
POISONOUS SUBSTANCES,
and in addition to these there are not n
few who accidentally touch matter OF
which a small particle Will faint cigar.
The most minute speck OF poison will
cling to the m0istened part OF cigar
and touched to cbapped lip may destroy
your comfort and the beauty of your lace
for weeks. The drug clerk compoundIng
prescriptions in which there are deadly
poisons, runs out to get one of the ingre-
dients at another corner, and while on
the way considers IL his unquestioned
privilege under the present custom to
ask you for light. The chemist the
scientist, the physician and mechanics
employed in certain kinds or labor are
equally dangerous men TO give or receive
a slight" from. One workman may have
brass dust on his fingers as he goes home
from work, but he doesn't consider that.
will, and hereafter my cigar will be In.
yiolate.o